Making Healthy Essene Bread

I'm staying in Kuala Lumpur (KL) and since I cannot find healthy essene bread but I did find organic wheat berries I decided to try to make this delicious sprouted bread myself.

I found this recipe and instructions for making essene bread so here's my experience.


I bought organic wheat berries from Radiant Foods and at midnight, I rinsed the wheat berries, placed them in a large stainless steel pan (3 cups), covered them with water and covered the pan with a clean tea towel.

The next morning at 10:00am, I rinsed the wheat berries. Because it is very warm (36C, 97F and humid) here in KL, I expected the berries to sprout quickly. I rinsed them again at 1:00pm and by 4:00pm the berries were just sprouting!



It took just 16 hours for the sprouts to appear...



Since I'm in transit and don't have access to a food processor or an old-fashioned meat grinder as suggested by another sprouted bread recipe, I had to make do with a blender. I processed the sprouted wheat in two batches and I had to add about 1/2 cup of water to each batch to make the blender do the job of grinding the berries. This resulted in a slightly wet dough. I then placed it in a a large strainer for 5 or 10 minutes so that the excess moisture would drain off.



I also did not have a non-stick pan. Thus I lined the pan with baking paper, oiled it slightly with olive oil* and pressed the dough into the pan. I did wonder if I could bake the bread in a loaf pan or just mold it into a nice round loaf but since this was my first attempt and I was determined to have a success I just follow the instructions as closely as I could and I'll experiment with the next batch.

Here's my bread ready for the oven...



And here's a closeup. You can see it is quite wet...



An in-the-oven shot....



Only 35 minutes to bake...



A closeup of the finished product...



Stacked and Ready to eat...



I had a bite right out of the oven with a bit of unsweetened raspberry jam...hmmmmmmMMMmmmm...delicious!

If you need a constipation cure, you should give up bad bread and try this ancient bread recipe. Essene (sprouted wheat) bread is rich in vitamins, minerals, chlorophyll and enzymes. It contains no oil, no preservatives, no salt and best of all no added sugar!

* Olive oil is one of the few healthy oils that can safely withstand low heat without oxidizing (see this article by Dr Ben Kim on choosing healthy oils for cooking)

Have You Heard the Story about MS and Aspartame?

The consumption of Aspartame is causing massive health problems. Also marketed as Nutra Sweet, Equal and Spoonful, the wood alcohol (aka methanol) in Aspartame converts to toxic chemicals that cause metabolic acidosis. This is an abnormal blood PH...a poisoning of sorts...that leads to a variety of symptoms and can have serious health consequences:

• chest pain
• palpitations
• headache
• poor vision
• poor hearing
• nausea, vomiting
• stomach pain
• muscle weakness
• bone pain
• weight loss.

If your blood PH gets too low, it can result in blindness, cardiac arrhythmia and death.

So what does this have to do with the current epidemic of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in the United States? Well the toxicity that results from the consumption of Aspartame mimics MS except that in the short term it is a sure death sentence whereas a true MS sufferer has a substantially longer life to live. But many people are being diagnosed with MS when in reality they have methanol poisoning from Aspartame.

The toxicity caused by the consumption of Aspartame also causes problems symptomatic of other diseases such as lupus and fibromyalgia.

While found on the labels of many foods Apartame is prevalent in diet carbonated drinks.

So you might want to read the labels of the foods you eat and you just might want to stop drinking diet sodas. Besides being poisonous diet sodas actually make you crave carbohydrates because of the salt and Aspartame content. So not only are they poisonous they aren't even a good diet option.

This is an old story. It was reported in 2000 to the World Environmental Conference by Betty Martini.

So why is Aspartame still on the market? You guessed it: the powerful chemical and pharmaceutical lobbies. Aspartame is found in approximately 6000 foods and beverages sold worldwide. Didn't I hear Obama say he wants to fix this fundamental flaw in the American democracy? I have high hopes.

In the meantime just stop buying foods that contain Aspartame and boycott all food products made by Monsanto, the maker of Aspartame.

And tell your friends. You might save someone's life.

Gingivitis Causes Heart Attacks

There are two things to know about gingivitis (gum disease) and heart disease.

First, a leading cause of heart disease is inflammation and gingivitis may be a sign of rampant inflammation. But gingivitis may just be the result of bad personal hygiene. It is surprising the number of people who do not brush or floss regularly. You should do both at least twice a day.

Second, an advanced case of gingivitis...whatever the cause...can result in bleeding gums. Once your gums are bleeding the risk of a heart attack increases for this simple reason: bleeding gums create an avenue for bacteria to get into your blood stream and it can cause an infection of the heart (infective endocarditis). The heart gets inflamed and whack! A heart attack!

Your mouth is naturally full of bacteria. When you swallow it your stomach acid kills the bacteria. (This is true if your digestive tract is healthy.) In this way, bacteria is eliminated before it can possibly get into your blood stream. But when your gums are bleeding the bacteria becomes a heart risk.

If you have red, swollen gums and especially if they are bleeding, you probably have gingivitis. Don't ignore it. It won't go away on its own. You must take action to correct it and you can reverse it. Ignoring gingivitis will eventually result in periodontitis. It is a much worse gum disease and it will cost you your teeth and a lot of money. Treatment is expensive and pulling teeth is expensive and dentures are expensive. Any way you look at it, periodontitis is expensive. Not to mention painful. I know. I have it.

Follow the link to read more about gingivitis, periodontitis, the causes, related diseases and a very effective natural gingivitis remedy.

Should You Take Supplements?

I am inspired to write this post by Dr Ben Kim's recent blog about synthetic vitamins. Just when I think I am convinced that supplements are possibly dangerous and a total waste of money (immiating Mother Nature is impossible) I stop and think about my own palpitating heart.

I first took Pharma Mag, a magnesium supplement at the suggestion of Kirsten Tremlett, an excellent naturopath and herbalist healer in Sydney, Australia. She thought it would help the distressing symptoms of tachycardia that I suffer from time to time. It did. Maybe it is the power of suggestion but it worked wonders. As long as I take 2 tablets, twice a day, my tachycardia goes away completely. I suffer from supraventricular tachycardia...aka SVT...it is benign as described by the cardiologist but extremely scary when it happens. Other magnesium supplements simply do not have the same effect. When I tried to find something similar at the Organic Pharmacy, they told me that this is a particularly strong dose and they knew of nothing like it.

I have not been able to find Pharma Mag outside of Australia and my search produced nothing comparable. So when I run short of supply I don't waste my money on supplements that don't work. I make sure I get my daily dose of magnesium rich nuts (cashews, almonds, brazil nuts) and then I just take a deep breath and ride out the palpitations.

I think that ultimately the best and most effective source of minerals and vitamins is your diet and it is so easy to eat a delicious, healthy and vitamin rich diet. The more organic foods you can eat the better. Eat more raw fruits and vegetables, nuts, grains and seeds. And cut the junk food. It will kill you.

(You cannot buy Pharma Mag just anywhere. If you want more information about where to get it, contact the Editor at Inward Bliss via this contact page.)

Bleeding Gums, Inflammation and Heart Disease

Inflammation causes heart disease. Among other things: arthritis, diabetes, Alzheimer's, depression, schizophrenia, attention deficit disorder, asthma. Don't forget cancer.

What causes inflammation? Constantly bombarding your body with unhealthy foods, drugs (recreational and pharmaceutical), smoking (of course), over doing the alcohol (moderate consumption of red wine is good for you, especially good for your heart). Then there's the myriad of chemical toxins introduced to your body in hundreds of ways: your shampoo, toothpaste, cosmetics, water, and environmental pollution. Eating plastic foods...any fast or junk or processed food that you buy today is likely to contain the ubiquitious trans fats...a sure-fire cause of inflammation.

Inflammation is strongly connected to heart disease. Dr William J Meggs in his book The Inflammation Cure says that atherosclerosis (clogged arteries) is the disease responsible for more deaths worldwide than any other cause. He goes on to explain that while cholesterol plays a part in this form of heart disease "...inflammation has the lead role".

So how do you know if you have life-threatening inflammation? A tell-tale sign is gum disease. Again Dr Meggs: "Our gums are the most visible indicator of an inflammation imbalance in our bodies and we would be wise to pay attention."

Gum disease, especially if you have bleeding gums, can introduce heart-attack-causing bacteria to your blood stream. Get more detail about gum disease and how it causes other diseases here.

Trans Fat and Heart Disease

What are these people lining up for?


Donuts!



This is the JCO donuts shop at the new Pavillion shopping center in Kuala Lumpur. I guess this is not a Krispy Kreme in disguise but it sure looks like it. The donuts look exactly like Krispy Kreme donuts.

Denying myself a Krispy Kreme used to take a lot of discipline. If you've ever had a Krispy Kreme then you probably know exactly what I mean.

It feels good to turn my back on this stuff. Here's the thing. They may taste orgasmically good but they are categorically not good for you. There is very little, if any, nutritional value in these donuts. It is all processed stuff...white flour, sugar and unhealthy fats. Is it any wonder obesity is on the rise in America? And shame on America for exporting its obesity. Malaysians are getting fat and fatter eating American junk food. Kentucky Fried Chicken, McDonalds and this Krispy Kreme look-alike.

I haven't had a Krispy Kreme since I read an article in the Tucson Weekly (2005) that completely grossed me out about the dangers of this particular junk. More recently I've learned the truth about cholesterol and the role of trans fat as a major contributor to heart disease. Trans fats are plastic and Krispy Kreme donuts are reportedly made with trans fats.

If you are concerned about clogging your arteries make the smart choice: don't eat JCO or Krispy Kreme donuts ever again! Avoid eating anything that contains or is cooked in trans fat.

Learn more about the negative health effects of trans fat.

Magnesium and Clogged Arteries

Research suggests that there is a link between a magnesium deficiency and atherosclerosis. If you have clogged arteries then you must know what atherosclerosis means. But for those who don't it is hardening of the arteries, a build up of a plaque in blood vessels, specifically arteries.

Magnesium is another one of those minerals that is good for the heart. Good for lots of other things too. Migraines. Sleep. Muscle cramps. But when it comes to the heart, it is especially good. The man who wrote Dead Doctors Don't Lie categorically said that magnesium is an essential heart mineral that is now missing from today's common diet...a diet of processed foods with fruits and veggies grown in soil that is over used, leached of important nutrients. Crops grown in leached soil are equally devoid of nutrients. This is a prime reason for buying organic (and isn't it irritating that organic costs more? Revolt. Grow your own.)

You can take magnesium supplements but it is better and safer to get magnesium naturally from a good healthy diet. I could go into a long discussion about the danger of taking supplements but I'd rather focus on the positive step of eating healthy foods to prevent the buildup of plaque in your arteries.

Eat foods rich in magnesium. Here is a list.

Oatmeal, millet, kamut, amaranth, brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, prawns, oysters, blackstrap molasses, brewer's yeast, wheat germ, nuts (brazil nuts, almonds, walnuts, cashews), sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seed, salba, bananas, black currants, rhubarb, ginger, cider vinegar, honey, and dark green veggies (spinach, watercress, swiss chard, parsley, wheatgrass, alfalfa sprouts).

Learn also about foods high in antioxidants. Antioxidants are also an important ingredient in the battle against heart disease.


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